Disposable loading unit with user feedback features and surgical instrument for use therewith

ABSTRACT

A disposable loading unit for operable attachment to a surgical stapling apparatus. The disposable loading unit may have a spent cartridge indication system for providing an indication of whether the loading unit has been previously fired. Other embodiments are disclosed that employ a blade monitoring system for providing feedback to the user concerning the amount of strain being experienced by the blade during cutting and stapling.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to endoscopic surgical instruments including, but not limited to, surgical stapler instruments that have disposable loading units that are capable of applying lines of staples to tissue while cutting the tissue between those staple lines and, more particularly, to improvements relating to such disposable loading units.

COMMONLY OWNED PATENT APPLICATION

U.S. Patent Application entitled Disposable Loading Unit With Firing Indicator to Steven G. Hall et al., filed on even date herewith, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2009/0206135A1, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic surgical instruments are often preferred over traditional open surgical devices since a smaller incision tends to reduce the post-operative recovery time and complications. Consequently, significant development has gone into a range of endoscopic surgical instruments that are suitable for precise placement of a distal end effector at a desired surgical site through a cannula of a trocar. These distal end effectors engage the tissue in a number of ways to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic effect (e.g., endocutter, grasper, cutter, staplers, clip applier, access device, drug/gene therapy delivery device, and energy device using ultrasound, RF, laser, etc.).

Known surgical staplers include an end effector that simultaneously makes a longitudinal incision in tissue and applies lines of staples on opposing sides of the incision. The end effector includes a pair of cooperating jaw members that, if the instrument is intended for endoscopic or laparoscopic applications, are capable of passing through a cannula passageway. One of the jaw members supports a staple cartridge that has at least two laterally spaced rows of staples. The other jaw member defines an anvil having staple-forming pockets aligned with the rows of staples in the cartridge. The instrument commonly includes a plurality of reciprocating wedges which, when driven distally, pass through openings in the staple cartridge and engage drivers supporting the staples to effect the firing of the staples toward the anvil.

One type of surgical stapling instrument is configured to operate with disposable loading units (DLU's) that are constructed to support a staple cartridge and knife assembly therein. Once the procedure is completed, the entire DLU is discarded. Such instruments that are designed to accommodate DLU's purport to offer the advantage of a “fresh” knife blade for each firing of the instrument. Examples of such surgical stapling apparatuses and DLU's are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361 to Milliman et al., the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Some prior disposable loading units have a slot in the bottom of the carrier channel that supports the staple cartridge. A portion of the drive beam that supports the blade extends out through the slot and a support foot or member is attached thereto. Numbered lines are printed on the bottom of the carrier to enable the clinician to ascertain the progress of the blade as it is driven through the staple cartridge. While such arrangement enables the clinician to monitor the firing progress, it requires the clinician to always be able to view the bottom of the carrier channel during the operation. However, because such units are capable of rotating, often times the unit may be oriented in such a way as to prevent viewing of the bottom of the carrier rendering such system useless.

Moreover, prior surgical stapling apparatuses, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361 and others, lack means that would enable the clinician to quickly ascertain whether the disposable loading unit was previously used. Such prior surgical stapling apparatuses also lack means for determining how many times a handle assembly was used. Those prior apparatuses also lack means for monitoring the amount of firing force that is being generated during the firing process.

Thus, there is a need for a surgical stapling apparatus configured for use with a disposable loading unit and also has means for monitoring the firing progress of the disposable loading unit, regardless of the position of the unit.

There is also a need for a disposable loading unit that is equipped with means for determining whether a disposable loading unit has ever been fired.

There is still another need for a surgical stapling apparatus that employs a disposable loading unit that has means for indicating the number of times that the surgical stapling apparatus has been fired.

Another need exists for a surgical stapling apparatus that has means for indicating the amount of stress experienced by the blade during firing of the instrument.

SUMMARY

In one general aspect of various embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a disposable loading unit for attachment to a surgical stapling apparatus. In various embodiments, the disposable loading unit may comprise a tool assembly that includes a carrier that has an anvil assembly movably coupled thereto for selective movable travel between open and closed positions relative to the carrier. A staple cartridge is supported in the carrier and operably supports a plurality of staples therein. An actuator member may be movably supported within the tool assembly and be configured to drive the plurality of staples out of the staple cartridge as the actuator member is driven from a starting position to an end position within the tool assembly. The tool assembly may further include an axial drive assembly that has a distal end portion that is constructed to move through the tool assembly and drive the actuator member from the starting to end position in response to a drive motion imparted to the axial drive assembly from the surgical stapling apparatus. The tool assembly may further comprise a spent cartridge indication system that is operably supported in the tool assembly and cooperates with the actuator member to indicate that at least some of the staples have already been driven out of the staple cartridge.

In still another general aspect of various embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a disposable loading unit for attachment to a surgical stapling apparatus. In various embodiments, the disposable loading unit includes a carrier that has a housing coupled thereto that is configured for operable attachment to the surgical stapling apparatus. A staple cartridge may be supported in the carrier and an anvil assembly may be movably coupled to the carrier for selective movable travel between open and closed positions relative to the staple cartridge. The disposable loading unit may further comprise an axial drive assembly that has a distal end portion that supports a blade and is constructed to move in a distal direction through the staple cartridge in response to a drive motion imparted to the axial drive assembly from the surgical stapling apparatus. A blade monitoring system may be operably associated with the axial drive assembly and be configured to transmit data relating to strain experienced by the blade to the surgical instrument to which the disposable loading unit is attached.

In another general aspect of various embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a surgical cutting and stapling apparatus that may include a handle assembly that has a drive system operably supported therein for selectively generating drive motions. A processor may also be operably supported in the handle assembly. An elongated body may protrude from the handle assembly and be constructed to transmit the drive motions to a disposable loading unit coupled thereto. The elongated body may be further constructed to transmit strain data from the disposable loading unit relating to strain on a blade within the disposable loading unit to the processor.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be made apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description of various embodiments of the invention given above, and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain various principles of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disposable loading unit embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the disposable loading unit embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the disposable loading unit embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a carrier and an axial drive assembly.

FIG. 3B is a partial bottom view of the carrier and axial drive assembly of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is an exploded assembly view of a portion of the disposable loading unit of FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another disposable loading unit embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another disposable loading unit embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another disposable loading unit embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the disposable loading unit embodiment of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the disposable loading unit embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is an exploded assembly view of a portion of the disposable loading unit embodiment of FIGS. 7-9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of another disposable loading unit embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another disposable loading unit of the present invention with the spent cartridge indicator pin extended.

FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a disposable loading unit embodiment of the present invention with some components shown in full view for clarity and wherein the spent cartridge indicator pin is completely received within the nose of the staple cartridge.

FIG. 14 is another partial side cross-sectional view of the portion of the disposable loading unit of FIG. 13 with the spent cartridge indicator pin extended.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of another disposable loading unit embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of a staple cartridge embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a partial perspective view of an indicator base embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a bottom perspective view of an actuation sled embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a disposable loading unit embodiment of the present invention with some components shown in full view for clarity and wherein the disposable loading is in an unfired position.

FIG. 20 is a bottom plan view of the surgical staple cartridge of the disposable loading unit of FIG. 19.

FIG. 21 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a disposable loading unit embodiment of the present invention with some components shown in full view for clarity and with the anvil in a closed position.

FIG. 22 is a bottom plan view of the surgical staple cartridge of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a disposable loading unit embodiment of the present invention during a firing stroke with some components shown in full view for clarity.

FIG. 24 is a bottom plan view of the surgical staple cartridge of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a bottom perspective view of the surgical staple cartridge of FIG. 24 wherein the spent cartridge indicator pin has been extended indicating that the disposable loading unit has been fired.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a surgical stapling apparatus embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a partial cross-sectional view of a surgical staple cartridge of an embodiment of the present invention with some of the components thereof omitted for clarity.

FIG. 28 is a side view of the interior of a handle assembly of a surgical stapling apparatus embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a side view of the handle assembly of FIG. 28.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a surgical stapling apparatus embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a top view of an axial drive assembly embodiment of the surgical stapling apparatus depicted in FIG. 30.

FIG. 32 is a side view of the axial drive assembly of FIG. 31.

FIG. 33 is an exploded assembly view of a portion of the axial drive assembly and a portion of a housing of a disposable loading unit embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 34 is a side elevational view of the portion of the housing depicted in FIG. 33.

FIG. 35 is an exploded assembly view of a portion of a disposable loading unit and a data transmission body and a portion of a rotatable knob of an embodiment of the present invention with two orientations of the data transmission body shown for clarity.

FIG. 36 is an exploded assembly view of a rotatable knob and a portion of a handle assembly of an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning to the Drawings, wherein like numerals denote like components throughout the several views, FIG. 1 depicts a disposable loading unit 16 of the present invention that may be used in connection with a surgical stapling apparatus such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361, the disclosure of which has been herein incorporated by reference. It will be appreciated that the terms “proximal” and “distal” are used herein with reference to a clinician gripping a handle assembly of the surgical stapling apparatus to which the disposable loading unit 16 is attached. Thus, the disposable loading unit 16 is distal with respect to the more proximal handle assembly. It will be further appreciated that, for convenience and clarity, spatial terms such as “vertical”, “horizontal”, “up”, “down”, “right”, and “left” are used herein with respect to the drawings. However, surgical instruments are used in many orientations and positions, and these terms are not intended to be limiting and absolute.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the disposable loading unit 16 may generally comprise a tool assembly 17 for performing surgical procedures such as cutting tissue and applying staples on each side of the cut. The tool assembly 17 may include a cartridge assembly 18 that houses a plurality of surgical staples therein. The tool assembly 17 may also include a staple-forming anvil assembly 20 that has an anvil portion 204 that has a plurality of staple deforming concavities (not shown) formed in the undersurface thereof. A cover plate 208 may be secured to a top surface of anvil portion 204 to define an anvil cavity therebetween. The anvil cavity is dimensioned to receive a distal end of an axial drive assembly 212. The axial drive assembly 212 may comprise a drive beam 266 of the type and construction described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361. A longitudinal slot (not shown) may extend through anvil portion 204 to facilitate passage of retention flange 284 of axial drive assembly 212 into the anvil cavity. A pair of pivot members 211 may be formed on the proximal end of the anvil portion 204 and be configured to be received in slots 213 that are formed in carrier 216 to enable the anvil portion 204 to pivot between the open and tissue-clamping positions. A camming surface (not shown) may be formed on a proximal end of anvil portion 204 and is positioned to engage axial drive assembly 212 to facilitate closing of the anvil assembly 20.

The distal end of drive beam 266 may include a vertical support strut 278 which supports the knife blade 280, and an abutment surface 283 which engages the central portion of actuation sled 234 during a stapling procedure. Knife blade 280 may be generally positioned to translate slightly behind actuation sled 234 through a central longitudinal slot in staple cartridge 220 to form an incision between rows of stapled body tissue. A retention flange 284 may project distally from vertical strut 278 and support a camming pin 286 at its distal end. Camming pin 286 may be dimensioned and configured to engage camming surface on anvil portion 204 to clamp anvil portion 204 against body tissue. In addition, a leaf spring (not shown) may be provided between the proximal end of the anvil portion 204 and the distal end portion of the housing 200 to bias the anvil assembly 20 to a normally open position. The disposable loading unit 16 may further include a lockout device 288 as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361.

The disposable loading unit 16 may further include a cartridge assembly 18. The cartridge assembly 18 may generally include a carrier 216 which is dimensioned and configured to receive a staple cartridge 220 therein. Such staple cartridge 220 supports a plurality of fasteners (staples) and pushers as is known in the art. The staple cartridge 220 may be configured as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361 to accommodate upstanding cam wedges of an actuation sled. A central longitudinal slot may extend along the length of staple cartridge 220 to facilitate passage of a knife blade 280 formed on the axial drive assembly 212. During operation of the disposable loading unit 16, the actuation sled translates through longitudinal slots of staple cartridge 220 to advance cam wedges into sequential contact with the pushers that are operably supported in the staple cartridge 220 to cause the pushers to translate vertically within the staple cartridge 220 and urge the fasteners (staples) associated with the pushers into the staple deforming cavities of the anvil assembly 20. The carrier 216 may also have an elongated bottom slot therethrough through which a portion of the vertical support strut may extend to enable the clinician to view the firing progress of the distal end of the drive beam as is described and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361. In addition, firing indicia (numbers, lines, etc.) may be printed or otherwise provided on the bottom of the carrier 216 adjacent the bottom slot for indicating the position of the distal end of the drive beam during the firing sequence as is known in the art.

As can also be seen in FIG. 1, the disposable loading unit 16 may also have a housing portion 200 that is adapted to snap onto or otherwise be attached to the carrier 216. The axial drive assembly 212 may include an elongated drive beam 266 that has a distal working head 268 and a proximal engagement section 270. The proximal end of housing 200 may include engagement nubs 254 for releasably engaging elongated body of a surgical stapling apparatus. Nubs 254 form a bayonet type coupling with the distal end of the elongated body portion of the surgical stapling apparatus as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361. The drive beam 266 may be constructed from a single sheet of material or, preferably, from multiple stacked sheets. Engagement section 270 may include a pair of engagement fingers 270 a and 270 b that are dimensioned and configured to mountingly engage a pair of corresponding retention slots 272 a formed in a drive connector 272. Drive connector 272 may include a proximal porthole (not shown) that is configured to receive the distal end of a control rod as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361. The control rod may impart a driving motion and a retraction motion to the axial drive assembly 212 in a known manner to drive the axial drive assembly 212 from a start position wherein the knife blade has not been advanced through any tissue and an end position wherein the distal end of the axial drive assembly 212 has advanced through the staple cartridge 220 to fire all of the staples therein and sever the tissue clamped between the cartridge 220 and the anvil 20 and then back to the start position.

As can be most particularly seen in FIGS. 1-4, the disposable loading unit 16 may also include a firing indicator assembly 300. As was discussed above, prior units employed a slot in the bottom of the carrier to enable the clinician to ascertain the progress of the blade as it is driven through the staple cartridge. While such arrangement enables the clinician to monitor the firing progress, it requires the clinician to always be able to view the bottom of the carrier channel during the operation. However, because such units are capable of rotating, often times the unit may be oriented in such a way as to prevent viewing of the bottom of the carrier rending such system useless. Various embodiments of the present invention solve that problem. For example, in various embodiments of the present invention, the firing indicator assembly 300 may include an axially extending opening 301 formed along the top dead center of the housing 200. In some embodiments, a transparent window 302 may be mounted (e.g., glued, snapped, etc.) in the opening 301. In other embodiments, no window is provided. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-4, the engagement section 270 has an indicator 310 formed thereon that is adapted to ride in the opening 301 and is viewable through the window 302. A firing scale 320, which may comprise various forms of indicia 322 (e.g., numbers, letters, colors or combinations of numbers, letters and/or colors), may be provided on the housing 200. The indicia 322 may be located at positions on the housing 200 to enable the clinician to assess the progress of the firing process (i.e., the distance that the axial drive assembly 212 has been advanced axially through the staple cartridge 220) by viewing the position of the indicator 310 relative to the indicia 322.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the firing indicator assembly 300 may be employed on disposable loading units that also have the slot 217 through the bottom of the carrier 216 which enables a portion of the vertical strut 278 to extend therethrough. A support member 287 is attached to the bottom of the vertical strut 278. See FIGS. 3A and 3B. Bottom firing indicia 279 may be provided adjacent the slot 217 to enable the clinician to monitor the advancement of the axial drive assembly also when viewing the bottom of the disposable loading unit. By combining these features with the firing indicator assembly 300 of the present invention, the clinician is able to monitor the firing progress regardless of whether the clinician is able to view the top of the unit or the bottom of the unit.

Other firing indicator arrangements 300′ of the present invention comprise an axially extending anvil slot 209 through the anvil cover plate 208 that enables the clinician to view the of retention flange 284 of axial drive assembly 212 as the axial drive assembly is driven from the start position to the end position through the cartridge 220. Although one continuous axial slot 209 is illustrated, in various other embodiments, the slot 209 may comprise a series of slot segments (not shown). Anvil firing indicia 322′ may be provided on the anvil cover 208 adjacent the slot 209. In still other embodiments, to enhance the visibility of the retention flange, the retention flange 284 may be provided with a color 211 that differs from a color 213 of the anvil assembly 20.

FIG. 5 illustrates yet another firing indicator arrangement 300″. As can be seen in that Figure, a movable firing indicator 390 is retained on the anvil cover 208 and is arranged to be contacted by the retention flange 284 as the axial drive assembly 212 is driven from the start position to the end position. Thus, the clinician may monitor the firing progress by viewing the position of the firing indicator 390 on the anvil 20. The person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that such an indicator 390 may also serve to strengthen the anvil cover assembly 208. In alternative embodiments, the indicator 390′ may be movably mounted within the slot 209. See FIG. 6.

Although the disposable loading units describe above comprise a non-articulatable loading unit, the person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the advantages provided by the firing indicator assemblies 300, 300′ and/or 300″ may be easily employed in connection with known articulatable disposable loading units such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361 and others.

FIGS. 7-9 illustrate another disposable loading unit 16′ that may be substantially similar to the disposable loading unit described above, except for the differences noted below. For example, in this embodiment, the firing indicator assembly 300 lacks window 302. In various embodiments, the opening 301 may be located more to one lateral side of the housing 200′ and the indicator 310′ may actually protrude out through the opening 301 and have a pointer 312 formed thereon to coincide with the indicia 322. Thus, in this embodiment, the indicator 310′ runs off of top dead center of the housing 200′ to enhance the ability of the clinician to view the indicator 310′ from one lateral side of the disposable loading unit 16′. As can be seen in FIG. 9, in various embodiments the indicator 310′ protrudes from the drive connector 272. In an alternative disposable loading unit 16″ as depicted in FIG. 11, a second opening 304 is provided through housing 200′ on the opposing lateral side through which opening 301 extends. A second indicator 310″ is attached to the drive connector 272 and protrudes through the opening 304. The second indicator 310″ may also have a pointer 312″ formed thereon that coincides with indicia 322′ provided adjacent the second opening 304 in correspondence with the first indicia 322. Such arrangement permits the clinician to assess the progress of the firing process from either lateral side of the disposable loading unit 16″. Again, this embodiment may also be employed in connection with articulatable disposable loading units without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

FIGS. 12-14 illustrate another disposable loading unit embodiment 116 of the present invention that may be substantially similar to the disposable loading unit embodiment 16 described above or to those disposable loading units described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361, except for the unique and novel differences noted below. In particular, the disposable loading unit 116 includes a tool assembly 17′ that includes a carrier 216 that supports a staple cartridge 220′ therein. An anvil assembly 20 may be pivotally attached to the carrier 216 for selective movable travel between open and closed positions relative to the carrier 216 in the manner discussed above. In various embodiments, the tool assembly 17′ may include a spent cartridge indication system 400 of the present invention. FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate a distal portion of the staple cartridge 220′ in cross-section. Staple cartridge 220′ may comprise a staple cartridge 220 of the type and construction disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361, except for the provision of the spent cartridge indication system 400.

Staple cartridge 220′ supports a plurality of fasteners and pushers as is known in the art. A plurality of spaced-apart longitudinal slots may extend through staple cartridge 220′ to accommodate upstanding cam wedges of an actuation member or sled 234 that is movably supported within the tool assembly 17′ and which is selectively movable from a staring position to an end position therein. A central longitudinal slot 282 extends along the length of staple cartridge 220 to facilitate passage of a knife blade 280 formed on the axial drive assembly 212. During operation of the disposable loading unit 116, actuation sled 234 translates through longitudinal slots of staple cartridge 220′ to advance the cam wedges of the actuation sled 234 into sequential contact with the pushers that are operably supported in the cartridge 220′ to cause the pushers to translate vertically within the cartridge 220′ and urge the fasteners (staples) associated with the pushers into the staple deforming cavities of the anvil assembly 20. The distal end of drive beam 266 includes a vertical support strut 278 which supports the knife blade 280, and an abutment surface 283 which engages the central portion of actuation sled 234 to impart a driving motion thereto during a stapling procedure. Surface 285 is located at the base of surface 283 and is configured to receive a support member 287 that is slidably positioned along the bottom of the carrier 216. Knife blade 280 is generally positioned to translate slightly behind actuation sled 234 through a central longitudinal slot 282 in staple cartridge 220 to form an incision between rows of stapled body tissue.

As can be seen in FIGS. 13 and 14, the spent cartridge indication system 400 may comprise a spent cartridge indicator pin 420 that is supported within the distal end 410 of the staple cartridge 220′. The indicator pin 420 may have a proximal abutment end 422 for abutting contact by the actuation sled 234, a tapered central portion 424, and an indicator portion 426. The indicator pin 420 is received in a hole 412 in the distal end 410 that has a tapered hole segment 414. FIG. 13 illustrates the position of the actuation sled 234 before it has reached the end position and the indicator pin is in an “unfired” position. When the staple cartridge 220′ has not yet been fired, the indicator portion 426 of the indicator pin 420 may be completely received within the nose portion 410 of the staple cartridge 220′. As the actuation sled 234 reaches the end position, the actuation sled 234 pushes on the abutment end 422 of the indicator pin 420 causing the tapered portion 424 thereof to lockably engage the internal tapered portion 414 of the hole 412. Thus, the indicator portion 426 of the indicator pin 420 will be pushed out of the distal end 410 of the staple cartridge 220′ to a “fired” position and is retained in that position to indicate to the clinician that the staple cartridge 220′ has been spent or previously fired. See FIG. 14. Such arrangement enables the clinician to quickly determine whether the disposable loading unit 116 has been previously fired. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the unique and novel spent cartridge indication system may be effectively employed in connection with articulatable and non-articulatable disposable loading units alike.

FIGS. 15-25 illustrate another disposable loading unit 516 of the present invention that may be substantially similar to the disposable loading unit 16 described above or to those disposable loading units described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361, except for the unique and novel differences noted below. In particular, the disposable loading unit 516 includes a tool assembly 17 that comprises a carrier 216 that supports a staple cartridge 220″ therein. An anvil assembly 20 is pivotally supported relative to the carrier 216 and is selectively movable between open and closed positions relative thereto. The tool assembly 17 may further comprise a spent cartridge indication system 400′. Staple cartridge 220″ may comprise a conventional staple cartridge of the type and construction disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361, except for the differences noted below.

As indicated above, staple cartridge 220″ supports a plurality of fasteners (staples) and pushers as is known in the art. A plurality of spaced-apart longitudinal slots 235 (FIG. 20) extend through staple cartridge 220″ to accommodate upstanding cam wedges 232 of an actuation member or sled 234′. See FIG. 18. A central longitudinal slot 282 extends along the length of staple cartridge 220″ to facilitate passage of a knife blade 280 formed on the axial drive assembly 212. See FIG. 20. During operation of the disposable loading unit 516, actuation sled 234′ translates through longitudinal slots 235 of staple cartridge 220″ to advance the cam wedges 232 of the actuation sled 234′ into sequential contact with the pushers that are operably supported in the cartridge 220″ to cause the pushers to translate vertically within the cartridge 220″ and urge the fasteners (staples) associated with the pushers into the staple deforming cavities of the anvil assembly 20. The distal end of drive beam 266 includes a vertical support strut 278 which supports the knife blade 280, and an abutment surface 283 which engages the central portion of actuation sled 234 during a stapling procedure. See FIG. 19. Surface 285 is located at the base of surface 283 and is configured to receive a support member 287 that is slidably positioned along the bottom of the carrier 216. Knife blade 280 is generally positioned to translate slightly behind actuation sled 234′ through a central longitudinal slot 282 in staple cartridge 220 to form an incision between rows of stapled body tissue.

In various embodiments, the spent cartridge indication system 400′ may comprise an indicator base 600 that is movably supported within the tool assembly 17 as shown in FIG. 16. The indicator base 600 may have a longitudinal slot 602 therein that enables the vertical support strut 278 of the axial drive assembly 212 to pass therethrough. In addition, the indicator base 600 may have a pair of stiffening rails 604 protruding therefrom. In various embodiments, for example, the indicator base 600 may be stamped from metal or otherwise fabricated from other suitable materials. As can be seen in FIG. 17, the proximal end 606 of the indicator base 600 may be staggered to accommodate the staggered wedges 232 of the actuation sled 234′. The proximal end 606 of the indicator base 600 is adapted to be received in a recess 630 formed in the bottom of the actuation sled 234′. See FIG. 18. As can also be seen in FIG. 18, a pair of shear stops 632 are formed in the bottom of the actuation sled 234′ to engage the distal end 606 of the indicator base 600. More specifically to engage the distal ends 605 of the stiffening rails 604.

The distal end 610 of the indicator base 600 has a spent cartridge indicator pin 611 protruding distally therefrom. The indicator pin 611 may have a distal portion 614 and a locking cone portion 612. The distal portion 614 is sized to be slidably received in a hole 414′ provided in the distal end 410′ of the staple cartridge 220″. Hole 414′ further has a tapered portion 415′ that is oriented to engage the locking cone portion 612 as will be discussed below.

As can be seen in FIGS. 16 and 19, when the staple cartridge 220″ is in the unfired position, distal end 610 of the indicator base 600 is received within the recess 630 in the actuation sled 234′. A camming surface 209 is formed on a proximal end of anvil portion 204 and is positioned to engage axial drive assembly 212 to facilitate closing of the anvil assembly 20. See FIG. 19. As is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361, the anvil assembly 20 is closed by driving the axial drive assembly 212 in the distal direction “DD” such that the camming pin 286 engages the camming surface 209 and pivots the anvil assembly 20 closed. Often times during a procedure, however, the clinician must open and close the anvil assembly 20 multiple times to manipulate tissue and to grasp and clamp the target tissue between the anvil assembly 20 and the staple cartridge 220″. Thus, the anvil assembly 20 may be opened and closed several times before the clinician desires to commence the firing process. In various embodiments, therefore, to avoid actuation of the indicator system 400′ during the opening and closing actions, a gap “G” is provided between the shear stops 632 and the corresponding proximal ends 605 of the stiffening rails 602. See FIG. 20. It will be understood that the gap “G” facilitates movement of the axial drive assembly 212 and actuation sled 234′ in the distal direction “DD” a sufficient distance to cause the anvil assembly 20 to pivot closed without distally advancing the indicator base 600 from a “prefired” position (FIGS. 19 and 20) to a “fired” position (FIG. 23).

Operation of the spent cartridge indication system 400′ will now be described with reference to FIGS. 19-25. FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrate the position of the indicator base 600 and the actuation sled 234′ prior to closing the anvil assembly 20. FIGS. 21 and 22 illustrate the positions of the indicator base 600 and the actuation sled 234′ after the axial drive assembly 212 has been advanced distally to close the anvil assembly 20. As can be seen in those Figures, the proximal ends 605 of the stiffening bars 602 are adjacent to their corresponding shear stops 632. FIGS. 23 and 24 illustrate the positions of the indicator base 600 and the actuation sled 234′ after the firing sequence has commenced. As can be seen in those Figures, as the axial drive assembly 212 is driven in the distal direction “DD”, the shear stops 632 contact the distal ends 605 of the stabilizing bars 602 on the indicator base 600 driving the indicator base 600 in the distal direction “DD” such that the indicator pin portion 614 protrudes out of the hole portion 414′ and the locking cone portion 612 engages the tapered hole portion 415′ in the staple cartridge nose 410′. After the locking cone portion 612 becomes seated in the tapered hole portion 415′, further advancement of the axial drive assembly 212 in the distal direction “DD” causes the shear stops 632 to shear off of the actuation sled 234′ (or move to an orientation that permits the actuation sled 234′ to continue to move distally relative to the indication base 600). See FIGS. 24 and 25. Thus, the indicator pin 614 of the indicator base 600 will be pushed out of the distal end 410′ of the staple cartridge 220″ and retained there to indicate to the clinician that the staple cartridge 220″ has been spent or previously fired. Such arrangement enables the clinician to quickly determine whether the disposable loading unit 516 has been previously fired. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the unique and novel spent cartridge indication system may be effectively employed in connection with articulatable and non-articulatable disposable loading units alike.

FIG. 26 illustrates a surgical stapling apparatus embodiment 1000 of the present invention that has a disposable loading unit 1016 embodiment of the present invention coupled thereto. The surgical stapling apparatus 1000 may comprise a handle assembly 12 that has an elongated body 14 protruding therefrom. The handle assembly 12 and the elongated body 14, as well as the components that make up such elements, may generally operate in the manner discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361, except for the differences discussed below. In this embodiment, the disposable loading unit 1016 employs a surgical staple cartridge 1220. The surgical staple cartridge embodiment 1220 may be substantially similar to surgical staple cartridge 220 described above, except for the improvements discussed below. In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 27, in this embodiment, a conventional switch 1224 (e.g., pressure switch, magnetic switch, etc.) may be positioned within the distal end 1222 such that when the actuation member or sled 234 contacts the switch 1224 or comes into close proximity therewith, a signal is transmitted through a wire or wires 1226 to an indicator 1230 mounted in the handle assembly 12. A power source 1240, such a battery, may be mounted in the handle assembly 12 and be coupled to the switch 1224, such that when the switch 1224 is activated, power is permitted to travel from the power source 1240 through the switch 1224 to the indicator 1230. The indicator 1230 may comprise a light or other suitable indication means to indicate to the clinician that the disposable loading unit 1016 has been fired. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the staple cartridge 1220 embodiment may be effectively employed in connection with articulatable and non-articulatable disposable loading units alike without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

FIGS. 28 and 29 illustrate another surgical stapling apparatus embodiment 1310 of the present invention that has a handle assembly 1312. The construction and operation of various components located within the handle assembly 1312 are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361. In addition to those components, the handle assembly 1312 of the present invention includes a first strain gauge 1320 that operably interfaces with the driving pawl 42 that engages the toothed rack 48 on the actuation shaft 46. The first strain gauge 1320 is electrically coupled to a processor 1330 that receives the inputs form the first strain gauge 1320 and calculates an amount of trigger pressure in pounds per square inch (PSI) associated with each activation of the movable handle 24. The processor displays the calculated trigger pressure on a trigger pressure display 1322 mounted in the handle assembly 1312. See FIG. 29.

The handle assembly 1312 may further support an impedance bar 1340 and a displacement encoder 1342 that is constrained to move on or adjacent to the impedance bar 1340. In various embodiments, for example, the encoder 1342 may be mounted to a proximal end of the actuation shaft 46 for travel therewith. Thus, as the actuation shaft 46 is advanced in the distal direction “DD” (which results from ratcheting the movable handle portion 24 as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361), the signals from the encoder 1342 are communicated to the processor 1330. A first switch 1400 may be mounted relative to the impedance bar 1340 such that as the actuation shaft 46 is moved distally a distance required to close the anvil assembly 20, the first switch 1400 may be triggered by the encoder 1342 or other trigger arrangement mounted to the actuation shaft 46. The first switch 1400 may be electrically coupled to the processor 1300 which may be coupled to an indicator light (not shown), a speaker 1410 and/or a vibrator 1420 mounted on the handle assembly 1312. Thus, when the anvil assembly 20 has been moved to a closed position, the processor 1300 may provide the user with an indication in the form of a sound through the speaker 1410 and or vibration motion through vibrator 1420.

As can be seen in FIG. 29, the handle assembly 1312 may also include a light screen or light emitting diode screen 1350. As the actuation shaft 46 is driven in the distal direction “DD” during the firing of the apparatus 1310, the light band 1352 on the screen 1350 will grow in the distal direction. The clinician can then determine the position of the actuation shaft 46 during the firing process based upon how far the light band 1352 extends distally on the screen 1350. Thus, when the actuation shaft 46 has been moved to its distal-most position and the disposable loading unit coupled thereto has been completely fired, the light band 1352 may extend completely across the screen 1350. Utilizing the input from the encoder 1342, the processor 1330 may also calculate the number of times that the handle assembly 12 has been fired and display that information on a display 1360. See FIG. 29.

FIGS. 30-36 illustrate another surgical stapling instrument embodiment 1500 that is equipped with a blade monitoring system 1700 of the present invention. As can be seen in FIG. 30, the surgical stapling instrument 1500 may include a handle assembly 1312 of the type and construction described above with a blade monitoring system 1700 of the present invention incorporated therein. As can also be seen in FIG. 30, the surgical stapling instrument 1500 may include a disposable loading unit 1516 that is constructed for removable attachment to the elongated body 14 that protrudes from the handle assembly 12. The disposable loading unit 1516 may generally comprise a tool assembly 17 for performing surgical procedures such as cutting tissue and applying staples on each side of the cut. The tool assembly 17 may include a cartridge assembly 18 that houses a plurality of surgical staples therein. The tool assembly 17 may also include a staple-forming anvil assembly 20 of the type and construction described above. The disposable loading unit 1516 may also include an axial drive assembly 1512 that may have the attributes of the axial drive assembly described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361 with the improvements described below.

In various embodiments for example, the axial drive assembly 1512 comprises a drive beam 1566. As can be seen in FIG. 32, the distal end of drive beam 1566 may include a vertical support strut 1578 which supports the knife blade 1580. A retention flange 1584 may project distally from vertical strut 1578 and support a camming pin 1586 at its distal end. Camming pin 1586 may be dimensioned and configured to engage a camming surface on the anvil assembly 20 to clamp the anvil assembly 20 against body tissue in a known manner. The drive beam 1566 may be constructed from a single sheet of material or, preferably, from multiple stacked sheets and have an engagement end 1570. Engagement end 1570 may include a pair of engagement fingers 1570 a and 1570 b which may be dimensioned and configured to mountingly engage a pair of corresponding retention slots formed in drive member as is known. The drive member facilitates interconnection of the drive beam 1566 to a control rod 52 when the proximal end of disposable loading unit 1516 is coupled to the elongated body 14 of the surgical stapling apparatus 1500.

The disposable loading unit 1516 may further include a housing assembly 1600 that may comprise an upper housing segment 1610 and a lower housing segment 1620 that are interconnected together to form the housing portion 1600. The upper housing segment 1610 and the lower housing segment 1620 may be interconnected by adhesive, snap features, fasteners, etc. As can be seen in FIG. 33, the upper housing segment 1610 may have an elongate groove 1612 therein to receive a portion of the drive beam 1566 therein. Likewise, the lower housing segment 1620 may have an elongate groove 1622 therein for receiving a portion of the drive beam 1566 therein.

As can be most particularly seen in FIG. 32, the blade monitoring system 1700 may comprise a strain gage 1710 that is mounted to the vertical strut portion 1578 adjacent the blade 1580. The strain gage 1710 may have a pair of gage leads 1712 that extend along the drive beam 1566 and terminate in interface terminals 1714 adjacent the engagement end 1570 of the drive beam 1566. The gage leads 1712 are arranged for electrical contact with conductive traces 1614 and 1624 in the housing segments 1610 and 1620, respectively, when the drive beam 1566 is received within the elongate grooves 1612 and 1622. As can be seen in FIGS. 33 and 34, the conductive trace 1614 terminates in an upper reload terminal 1616 provided on a proximal end portion 1602 of the housing 1600. Likewise, the conductive trace 1624 terminates in a lower reload terminal 1626 provided on the proximal end portion 1602 of the housing 1600.

In various embodiments, the elongated body 14 supports a data transmission body 1650 which is configured to operably support the control rod 52 therein. As can be seen in FIG. 35, the data transmission body 1650 may have a distal end 1652 that is configured for removable attachment with the proximal end 1602 of the housing 1600 similar to the bayonet-type connection described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,361. As can be seen in FIGS. 30 and 36, a rotatable knob 28 may be mounted on the forward end of the handle assembly 1312 to facilitate rotation of elongated body 14 with respect to handle assembly 1312 about longitudinal axis “L-L” of the stapling apparatus 1500. The rotatable knob 28 may be formed from knob segments 28 a and 28 b that are fastened together by snap features, adhesive, fasteners, etc. The knob segments 28 a and 28 b may each have a radial projection 132 formed thereon that is adapted to extend into corresponding openings (not show) in an outer casing 124 of the elongated body 14 and into depressions 1662 a, 1662 b in a proximal end 1660 of the data transmission body 1650. Projections 132 fixedly secure rotation knob 28 and the elongated body 14 in relation to each other, both longitudinally and rotatably. Rotation of rotation knob 28 with respect to handle assembly 1312 thus results in corresponding rotation of elongated body 14 about longitudinal axis L-L with respect to handle assembly 1312. It will also be appreciated that because the disposable loading unit 1516 is coupled to the distal end of the elongated body 14, rotation of the elongated body 14 also results in the rotation of the disposable loading unit 1516.

As can be seen in FIG. 35, the data transmission body 1650 has a right data lead 1670 that penetrates through the distal end 1652 to form a lower body penetration 1672 that is oriented for electrical contact with the lower reload terminal 1626 when the proximal end 1602 of the housing 1600 is coupled to the distal end 1652 of the data transmission body 1650. Likewise, the data transmission body 1650 further has a left data lead 1680 that penetrates through the distal end 1652 to form an upper body penetration 1682 that is oriented for electrical contact with the upper reload terminal 1616 when the proximal end 1602 of the housing 1600 is coupled to the distal end 1652 of the data transmission body 1650. The right data lead 1670 extends through the data transmission body 1650 and terminates in mounting depression 1662 a to form a right termination end 1674 and the left data lead 1680 extends through the data transmission body 1650 and terminates in the other mounting depression 1662 b to form a left terminal end 1684. See FIG. 35.

As can be further seen in FIGS. 35 and 36, the right knob segment 28 a has a right hand shroud lead 1690 supported therein that terminates at a proximal right terminal end 1692. The right hand shroud lead 1690 also terminates through the projection 132 formed in the right hand knob segment 28 a such that when the projection 132 a extends into the depression 1662 a in the proximal end 1660 of the data transmission body 1650, an electrical connection is formed between the right hand shroud lead 1690 and the right termination end 1664. Likewise, the left hand knob segment 28 b has a left hand shroud lead 1700 supported therein that terminates at a proximal left terminal end 1702. The left hand shroud lead 1700 also terminates through the projection 132 b formed in the left hand knob segment 28 b such that when the projection 132 b extends into the depression 1662, an electrical connection is formed between the left hand shroud lead 1700 and the left termination end 1684.

In various embodiments, the distal end portion 1313 of the handle assembly 1312 has a right conductive annular band 1810 thereon which is connected to the processor 1330 by a lead 1812 and a left conductive annular band 1820 which is also connected to the processor by a lead 1822. The right knob segment 28 a has an inwardly extending attachment flange portion 29 a formed thereon adapted to be received in an annular groove 1315 formed in the distal end 1313 of the handle assembly 1312. Similarly, the left knob segment 28 b has an inwardly extending attachment flange portion 29 b formed thereon adapted to be received in the annular groove 1315. Thus, when the right knob segment 28 a is coupled to the left knob segment 28 b (by adhesive, snap features, fasteners, etc., the attachment flange portions 29 a, 29 b serve to retain the knob 28 on the housing 1312 while facilitating rotational travel of the knob 28 relative thereto. In addition, when the knob 28 is rotatably supported on the handle assembly 1312, the right terminal end is in electrical contact with the right conductive annular band 1810 and the left terminal end is in electrical contact with the left conductive annular band 1820. Thus, when the disposable loading unit 1516 is coupled to the elongate body 14, electrical connections are established between the strain gage 1710 and the processor 1330.

As the axial drive assembly 1512 is driven distally through tissue clamped in the tool assembly 17, the blade 1580 will experience forces “F” the magnitude of which may depend upon the amount of tissue clamped in the tool assembly 17. See FIG. 32. Such forces “F” will tend to elongate the vertical support strut 1578 which supports the knife blade 1580. As the forces “F” are applied to the vertical support strut 1578, the strain gauge 1710 will detect an amount of strain experienced by the vertical support strut 1578 and communication such data to the processor 1330. The processor 1330 then manipulate the strain data in a known manner and transmits the data on a display 1322 mounted in the handle assembly 1312. In other embodiments, the processor 1330 can activate the vibrator 1420 to cause the vibrations of the vibrator to increase as the amount of strain experienced by the vertical support strut 1578 and the blade 1580 increase. Thus, the blade monitoring system 1700 provides feedback to the clinician during the operation of the instrument concerning the magnitude of strain being experienced by the blade which is related to the amount of and type of tissue clamped within the tool assembly 17.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, it should be apparent, however, that various modifications, alterations and adaptations to those embodiments may occur to persons skilled in the art with the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the invention. For example, according to various embodiments, a single component may be replaced by multiple components, and multiple components may be replaced by a single component, to perform a given function or functions. This application is therefore intended to cover all such modifications, alterations and adaptations without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosed invention as defined by the appended claims.

Any patent, publication, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated materials does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.

The invention which is intended to be protected is not to be construed as limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. The embodiments are therefore to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Variations and changes may be made by others without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all such equivalents, variations and changes which fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the claims be embraced thereby. 

1. A disposable loading unit for attachment to a surgical stapling apparatus, said disposable loading unit comprising: a tool assembly comprising: a carrier; an anvil assembly movably coupled to said carrier for selective movable travel between open and closed positions relative to said carrier; a staple cartridge supported in said carrier, said staple cartridge operably supporting a plurality of staples therein; and an actuator member movably supported within said tool assembly and configured to drive said plurality of staples out of said staple cartridge as said actuator member is driven from a starting position to an end position within said tool assembly; an axial drive assembly having a distal end portion constructed to move through said tool assembly and drive said actuator member from said starting to end position in response to a drive motion imparted to said axial drive assembly from the surgical stapling apparatus; and a spent cartridge indication system operably supported in said tool assembly and cooperating with said actuator member to provide an indication when at least some of the staples have been driven out of said staple cartridge, said spent cartridge system comprising an indicator pin supported within a distal end of said staple cartridge and being movable from a first unfired position to a fired position in response to movement of said actuator member, said indicator pin being configured to be locked in a protruding position when said actuator member has reached said end position.
 2. The disposable loading unit of claim 1 wherein said indicator pin is movably supported within a hole in said distal end of said staple cartridge and wherein when said indicator pin is in said first unfired position, said indicator pin does not protrude out of said hole and when at least some of said staples have been driven out of said staple cartridge, at least a portion of said indicator pin protrudes from said hole.
 3. The disposable loading unit of claim 1 further comprising: an indicator base movably supported in said tool assembly between a pre-fired position to a fired position in response to movement of said actuator member; and an indicator pin formed on a distal end of said indicator base and received in a hole in a distal end of said staple cartridge, such that when said indicator base is moved to said fired position, at least a portion of said indicator pin protrudes from said distal end of said staple cartridge.
 4. The disposable loading unit of claim 3 wherein said indicator pin is configured to be retained in said protruding orientation relative to said distal end of said staple cartridge when said indicator base has moved to said fired position.
 5. The disposable loading unit of claim 4 wherein said indicator pin has a locking cone portion formed thereon configured to be lockingly seated in a portion of said hole in said distal end of said staple cartridge when said indicator base has moved to said fired position.
 6. The disposable loading unit of claim 3 further comprising at least one shear stop on said actuator member and configured for driving engagement with said indicator base to impart a driving motion thereto as said actuator member is driven from said starting position to said end position and thereby drive said indicator base from said prefired position to said fired position, said shear stops further configured to permit said actuator member to move relative to said indicator base after said indicator base has been driven into said fired position.
 7. A disposable loading unit for attachment to a surgical stapling apparatus, said disposable loading unit comprising: a tool assembly comprising: a carrier; an anvil assembly movably coupled to said carrier for selective movable travel between open and closed positions relative to said carrier; a staple cartridge supported in said carrier, said staple cartridge operably supporting a plurality of staples therein; and an actuator member movably supported within said tool assembly and configured to drive said plurality of staples out of said staple cartridge as said actuator member is driven from a starting position to an end position within said tool assembly; an axial drive assembly having a distal end portion constructed to move through said tool assembly and drive said actuator member from said starting to end position in response to a drive motion imparted to said axial drive assembly from the surgical stapling apparatus; and a spent cartridge indication system operably supported in said tool assembly and cooperating with said actuator member to provide an indication when at least some of the staples have been driven out of said staple cartridge; and means for measuring the elongation of a blade portion of said axial drive assembly.
 8. A disposable loading unit for attachment to a surgical stapling apparatus, said disposable loading unit comprising: a tool assembly comprising: a carrier; an anvil assembly movably coupled to said carrier for selective movable travel between open and closed positions relative to said carrier; a staple cartridge supported in said carrier, said staple cartridge operably supporting a plurality of staples therein; and an actuator member movably supported within said tool assembly and configured to drive said plurality of staples out of said staple cartridge as said actuator member is driven from a starting position to an end position within said tool assembly; an axial drive assembly having a distal end portion constructed to move through said tool assembly and drive said actuator member from said starting to end position in response to a drive motion imparted to said axial drive assembly from the surgical stapling apparatus; and a spent cartridge indication system operably supported in said tool assembly and cooperating with said actuator member to provide an indication when at least some of the staples have been driven out of said staple cartridge; and means for determining a position of said distal end of said axial drive assembly as said distal end of said axial drive assembly moves through said tool assembly. 